From Archie to zombies, apps for comics

19 July 2011

Transcript

Welcome to Tap That App, I'm Seth Rosenblatt and this is the show where we show off
some of the spiciest mobile apps around. Today I'm going to show you some of the best
apps for reading comic books on your mobile whatever. We've got ComiXology,
Graphicly, and some indie contenders from indie publishers like Dark Horse.
The good news is that most of these apps basically work the same. You've got to
register to use them. You've got your store with a smattering of free comics, but for the
vast majority of books you're gonna have to cough up the bucks. The readers work
similarly, too. Tap or swipe to flip the page, pinch to zoom. Socialization features are on
the slim side. As cool as it would be to be able to send a friend a link to a comic because
you can't believe what just happened to Deus Ex Machina Man, that hasn't been
implemented yet.
Unlike in print comics, where you pretty much have a favorite store or two that you go to
get your books--even if it's an online store like Amazon--the comics apps have set up
license deals with the publishers. ComiXology works with DC Comics on both iOS and
Android, while it offers Marvel Comics only on iOS. Graphicly is the app you've got to
use to get Marvel on Android, and it also offers comics from other publishers like Image,
the publisher of Walking Dead. Some publishers, like Boom Studios, are available on
both platforms.
The in-app stores offer previews along with free comics, but be warned: often, you're
looking at paying the same price for the print version as the digital because of the cut
that the app makers demand on top of the Apple's slice of the pie.
One nifty comics app for Android I've found is Vintage Comics Droid. Offering entirely
free comics, it's a great way to read decades-old comics that have entered the public
domain. Vintage Comics includes a phenomenal range of more than 3000 books, old-
school superheroes, Westerns, mystery, romance, horror, suspense, and humor. Be
warned, though: at the time we shot this video, browsing worked well. Downloading? Not
so much.
That's it for this week's show! If you've got any suggestions fly em on over to
TapThatApp At CNET dot com. I'm Seth Rosenblatt. We'll see you next week.